Recruitment, hiring and salaries in Poland

Recruitment, hiring and salaries in Poland

Recruitment, hiring and salaries in Poland

Recruitment in Poland

Recruitment is the process of hiring qualified employees for a company. It consists of searching, attracting, evaluating candidates and selecting the best candidate for a position. This topic is important for all start-up entrepreneurs who plan to start a business in Poland or to relocate an existing company to the Polish market. The recruitment process starts with defining the requirements and characteristics of the vacancy and preparing its advertisement. As a rule, vacancies are posted on various recruitment websites, social networks and specialised forums.

In general, the recruitment process is essential for the successful operation and development of a business in Poland, as obtaining highly qualified and efficient employees is key to the success of the business.

Recruiting staff in Poland involves several stages. They may vary slightly depending on the size and type of company, but basically the process is as follows:

  • Job Preparation. The employer must define the requirements and expectations for the future employee. The conditions for opening a business in Poland, the specialisation of the company, the size of the organisation, the requirements for the skills and experience of the applicant should be taken into account.
  • Searching for candidates. This stage may include publishing the vacancy on specialised websites, searching through social networks, contacts in profile communities, etc. It is important to use various sources to find the maximum number of candidates.
  • CV screening. The employer makes an initial selection of CVs according to certain criteria (e.g., meeting job requirements, work experience and education).
  • Candidates go through several stages of interviews with various company representatives. They may be preliminary, technical, with department heads, or with HR specialists.
  • After all stages of interviews, the company selects the most suitable candidate and offers him/her a vacancy. If the candidate accepts, an employment contract is signed.

There are many specialised websites in Poland where you can find employees for a newly opened company. Many companies also use the services of recruitment agencies to find employees for them.

The following are the main specialist search sites and recruitment agencies in Poland:

  • Pracuj.pl – the largest job search site in Poland.
  • Indeed.pl – a popular job and candidate search site.
  • GoldenLine.pl – a social network for professionals in Poland that also provides job search opportunities.
  • Kariera.pl – a site for job search and career development.
  • Grupa Pracuj – a company that maintains several job search sites including Practica.pl, Pracujzasgranica.pl and others.
  • Pracujzagranica.pl – a job search site that collects adverts from other sites.
  • Jobrapido.pl – a job search site that provides the ability to upload CVs.
  • Monster.pl – a recruitment agency that provides search and recruitment services.
  • Adecco.pl is a recruitment agency that specialises in finding highly qualified specialists.
  • Hays.pl is a recruitment agency that provides search and selection services in various sectors.

Starting a business in Poland and recruiting staff

Starting a business in Poland is closely related to recruitment, as when setting up and registering a company in Poland, it is necessary to define its goals and objectives, as well as determine what staff is needed to achieve them. In addition, when starting a company in Poland, you need to register it under Polish law and have all the necessary staff in place to manage, produce or provide services. This may include various specialisations such as financiers, lawyers, marketers, procurement specialists, etc. Therefore, recruitment plays an important role when starting a company in Poland and determines how successful its operations and development will be.

Hiring an employee in Poland can be done in several ways and there are several types of contracts for this purpose. Here are some of them:

  1. Umowa o pracę (employment contract) is a standard contract for hiring an employee on a full-time or part-time basis. It can be concluded for an indefinite term or for a fixed term (maximum 3 years).
  2. Umowa-zlecenie (a contract for reimbursable services) is an earnings contract between an employee and an employer for the performance of a certain job, project or assignment. The employee may perform the work either independently or within the framework of the obligations prescribed in the contract. The salary is paid according to the fulfilment of tasks and is determined in advance in the contract.
  3. Umowa o dzieło (author’s contract) is a contract for the performance of a work or project, which is concluded between the employee and the employer. It can be concluded either for a fixed or indefinite period of time. The salary is paid according to the fulfilment of tasks and is determined in advance in the contract.
  4. Umowa o pracę na czas określony (fixed-term employment contract) is a contract to employ an employee for a fixed period of time, which may not exceed 33 months. It can be extended only once for a maximum of 33 months.

When hiring an employee in Poland, it is necessary to familiarise yourself with all the requirements of the relevant legislation and the rules that govern the relationship between employer and employee in Poland. Also, it is necessary to pay attention to the procedures for obtaining a work permit and preparing the relevant documents for employment.

Laws regulating recruitment in Poland

There are several laws in Poland that regulate the hiring of personnel. The main laws are listed below:

  • THE CODE OF WORK – the main law defining the rights and obligations of employers and employees, terms and conditions of the employment contract, wages, holidays, working hours, safety and hygiene in the workplace, etc.
  • Employment and Labour Market Law – this law defines the rules for hiring and firing employees, wages, work schedules and other employment related issues.
  • SOCIAL PROTECTION LAW – this law establishes rules for state social protection such as pensions, benefits, health insurance, etc.
  • TAXES AND DUTIES LAW – this law provides for the taxation of wages and other income of employees, as well as taxes to be paid by employers.
  • LAW ON CONCLUSION AND TERMINATION OF WORK CONTRACTS – sets out the rules for the conclusion, amendment and termination of employment contracts.
  • LAW ON PROTECTION OF EMPLOYEES’ RIGHTS – protects the interests of employees when their rights are violated by their employer.
  • PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION LAW – regulates the collection, storage and processing of employees’ personal data.

In addition, there are many other legal documents, regulations and collective agreements that regulate the relationship between employer and employee in Poland.

Wages in Poland

Salaries in Poland depend on many factors, including the qualifications of the employee, the region, the industry and the size of the company. However, there are a few basic rates that need to be mentioned:

  1. Minimum wage. In 2023, the minimum wage increase in Poland should take place in two stages – from 1 January 2023 it will be 3,490 PLN gross (gross – i.e. before taxes), from 1 July 2023 it should be 3,600 PLN gross.
  2. Average wage – the arithmetic mean of all incomes, calculated both for the Polish economy as a whole and for individual regions (voivodships) and sectors of the economy. At the beginning of 2023 it was about 7,000 PLN.
  3. Hourly labour remuneration. From 01.01.2023 to 22.80 PLN, and from 1 July to 23.50 PLN gross per hour. This is usually an hourly wage for unskilled employees, but it can be as high as 50-60 PLN per hour (about 10-13 euros per hour) for highly skilled workers in sectors such as IT or finance.

It is also worth noting that taxes in Poland are quite high, and the amount of tax deductions depends on income and other factors. In general, wages in Poland are average for Europe, and higher than in many other Central and Eastern European countries.

Payroll taxes in Poland

Poland’s tax system has changed considerably over the past decades and has moved closer to European standards. Payroll taxes are levied in favour of the state on a monthly basis in the form of advance payments. The employer is responsible for controlling the tax liability. Taxes on wages in Poland are paid by both local citizens and foreigners working in Polish companies on the basis of a labour contract.

Income tax rate in Poland in 2023

  • Annual income from 0 to 120,000 PLN – 12% (minus 3,600 PLN)
  • Annual income over PLN 120,000 – PLN 10,800 + 32% of the amount exceeding PLN 120,000

Social contributions from salary in Poland in 2023

  • Health insurance – 9%. At the same time, 7.75% is a tax credit, so the employee is actually charged 1.25%
  • Pension fund – 27.52% (11.26/16.26%)
  • Disability insurance – 8% (1.5/6.5%)
  • Sickness insurance – 2.45% (employee)
  • Accident insurance – 0.67-3.33% – more than 9 employees and 1.67% up to 9 employees (employer)
  • Labour fund – 2.45% (employer)

In total, the amount of social contributions directly from the salary of an employee in Poland is about 15.1%.

Together these taxes and contributions form the total tax rate for an employee in Poland, which can be up to 40% of their salary. However, there are also various exemptions and tax deductions that can reduce the amount of tax payments.

The process of opening and running a business in Poland is quite labour-intensive, but in principle, if the entrepreneur competently approaches the issue, there should be no special problems. If you want to open a company in Poland and save time and effort, it is better to turn to specialists who are well versed in all stages of company creation and know the local legislation. Our company is ready to help you at any stage. If you still have questions or would like to receive additional advice on this topic, please contact us at office@progressholding.pl.